Chapter 18

From _Bonne_ we intended to have taken the high road to _Dijon_; but being informed that there was another, though not much frequented, by way of _Autun_, and that _that_ town, which was a Roman colony, still contained many curious monuments worthy of notice, we pursued the latter, which twisted in between a vast variety of small, but fertile valleys, watered with brooks, bounded by romantic hills, and some high mountains, most of which were covered with vines, which _did_ produce the most delicious red wine in the world; I say _did produce_, for the high _gout_ and flavour of the Burgundy grape has for many years failed, and perhaps so as never to return again. We, however, missed the road to _Autun_, and, after four leagues' journey through a most delightful country, we arrived at a miserable auberge in a dirty village called _Yozy_, which stands upon the margin of a large forest, in which, some years since, the _diligence_ from _Lyons_ to _Paris_ was attacked by a banditti, and the whole party of travellers were murdered: ever since that fatal day, a guard of the _Marechaussee_ always escort the _diligence_ through this deep and dreadful forest, (so they called it), and we were persuaded it was right to take a couple of the _Marechaussee_, and did so; but as we found the forest by no means so long, deep, or dreadful, as it had been represented, we suspected that the advice given us, was more for the sake of the men who _guarded us_, than from any regard _to us_, two men could have made no great resistance against a banditti; and a single man would hardly have meddled with us.

The next day we passed thro' _Arnay-le-Duc_, a pretty country village, three leagues from _Yozy_, and it being their annual fair-day, we had an opportunity of seeing all the peasantry, dressed in their best, and much chearfulness, not only in the town, but upon the road before we arrived, and after we passed it. Amongst the rest of the company, were a bear and a monkey, or rather what _Buffon_ calls the _maggot_. I desired the shew-man to permit my _maggot_, as he was the least, the youngest, and the _stranger_, to pay a visit to _Mons. Maggot_, the elder, who embraced the _young gentleman_ in a manner which astonished and delighted every body, myself only excepted; but as _my young gentleman_ seemed totally indifferent about the _old one_, I suspected he had _really met his father_, and I could not help moralizing a little.

From _Arnay-le-Duc_ we passed through _Maupas_, _Salou_, _Rouvray_, _Quisse la forge_, and _Vermanton_ to _Auxerre_, the town where the French nobleman _was said_ to live, whom Dr. _Smollett_ treated so very roughly, and who, in return, was so _polite_ as to _help to tie_ the Doctor's baggage behind his coach!

About a quarter of a mile without this town, stands a royal convent, richly endowed, and delightfully situated; the walls of which take in near twenty acres of land, well planted on the banks of a river; and here I left my two daughters, to perfect themselves in the French language, as there was not one person within the convent, nor that I could find, within the town, who could speak a word of English. And here I must not omit to tell you, how much I was overcome with the generosity of this virtuous, and I must add amiable, society of _religieux_. Upon my first inquiry about their price for board, lodging, washing, cloaths, and in short, every thing the children did, or might want, they required a sum much beyond the limits of my scanty income to give; but before we left them, they became acquainted with _some circumstances_, which induced them to express their concern that the price I had offered (not half what they had demanded) could not be taken. We therefore retired, and had almost fixed the children in a cheaper convent, but much inferior in all respects, within the town, when we received a polite letter from the Lady Abbess, to say, that after consulting with her sister-hood, they had come to a resolution to take the children at our _own_ price, rather than not shew how much they wished to oblige us. Upon this occasion, we were _all_ admitted within the walls of the convent; and I had the pleasure of seeing my two daughters joined to an elegant troop of about forty genteel children, and of leaving them under the care of the same number of _religieux_. And yet these good people knew nothing of us, but what we ourselves communicated to them, not being known, nor knowing any person in the town.--The Lady-Abbess of this convent is a woman of high rank, about twenty-four years of age, and possesses as large a share of beauty as any reasonable woman, even on the _outside_ of a convent, could wish for.

_Auxerre_ is a good town, pleasantly situated, and in a plentiful and cheap country.

From _Auxerre_ to _Ioigni_ is five leagues. The _Petit bel Vue_ on the banks of the river is very pleasantly situated, but a dreadful one within side, in every respect, being a mixture of dirt, ignorance, and imposition; but it is the only inn for travellers, and therefore travellers should avoid it. In order to put my old hostess in good humour, I called early for a bottle of Champaigne; and in order to put me into a bad humour, she charged me the next day for two; but I _charged her_ with _Mons. Le Connetable_, who behaved like a gentleman, though I think he was only a _marchand de tonneau_: but then he was a _wine_ not _beer_ cooper, who hooped the old Lady's barrel.

Where-ever I was ill-used or imposed upon, I always sent a pretty heavy packet by the post, after I had run down a hundred miles or two, by way of _draw-back_, upon my host, and recompence to the King's high road; for in France,

_"Like the Quakers' by-way, 'Tis plain without turnpikes, so nothing to pay"_

An old witch, who had half starved us at _Montpellier_, for want of provisions, when we went, and for want of fire to dry us, when we came back, left a piece of candle in my budget, which I did not omit to return by the post, _well packed up_, lest it should grease other packets of more importance, by riding an hundred leagues; besides this it was accompanied by a very civil _letter of advice_, under another cover.